Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman speaks at the closing ceremony of the 48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (Source: VNA)
(VOVworld) - The 48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM 48) and related meetings concluded in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday. In a press briefing later the same day, Malaysian Prime Minister Anifah Aman said ASEAN reached a consensus on a number of issues, adding that the meetings closed with the issuance of a Joint Communique affirming the bloc’s solidarity in establishing the ASEAN Community later this year. The Joint Communique entails policies and future orientations for ASEAN based on the three key pillars of political security, economics, and socio-culture.

The Post-2015 ASEAN vision in particular sets out the community’s orientation for the next decade: accelerating international integration and cooperation; creating a people-oriented, people-centered and rules-based group; promoting the central role of ASEAN; and enhancing relations with foreign partners to obtain their support for the establishment of the ASEAN Community.

The Foreign Ministers highlighted the role of the ASEAN partners and proposed expanding cooperation mechanisms like ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit (EAS), and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). They also expressed concern about the recent developments in the East Sea, in particular actions that could escalate tensions and threaten peace, security and stability in the East Sea. Le Luong Minh, the ASEAN General Secretary, said: "The ministers call on all concerned parties to fully abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and together with China, enter a new period of more practical consultations where China and ASEAN can discuss all factors of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) as well as its structure. I hope that with the acknowledgement of the importance of the region’s peace, stability, and security, and aviation and navigation security and freedom, ASEAN and China will soon make progress in their consultations and negotiations and complete the Code of Conduct as soon as possible."